Revenant Assistant
by Anzel Silver
Summary: Harry Potter didn't really know what to do with himself after the war. He has a home, a job, friends. But something is missing. He can't seem to figure it out. And he certainly can't figure it out with a ghost running around his side. WARNING: SLASH.
1. The Return of a Friend

I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters other than the plot. Please enjoy. :)

After the war and the Battle of Hogwarts, things didn't go back to the way they were. They probably never will. But people tried their best to move on from those horrible memories. They would never forget the people who sacrificed their lives and fought in the battles against the Dark Lord, but there were just some things people didn't want to remember.

Harry Potter wasn't the type to forget so easily. He stayed at the Weasley's for a while, rooming with Ron. At least until he could convince Mrs. Weasley that yes, he did have money to buy a flat and no, he was sure he could buy himself food and not starve and yes, of course he would come by almost every day to visit. About a few months of convincing, Mrs. Weasley was mollified and Harry packed his stuff (not much) and moved into his knew flat in London.

He, Ron and Neville entered the Auror's training program as soon as they could. It wasn't that hard for them, actually. They fared pretty well in the training, which wasn't surprising at all. Neville was always a surprise. They all thought that after the war was over, he would go back to his old ways, clumsy and slow witted. He, instead, became more clever and stronger in his spells, always modest, of course. He never bragged about his accomplishments, Neville. Probably why Harry liked him so much as a person. He didn't let this sudden fame get to his head. Ron, understandably, was eating it up. He didn't brag but he always held his head a just a bit higher whenever a photographer or a journalist or even a fan stopped him on the streets. He always answered questions as honestly and brutal as possible.

Harry didn't like the attention. He never did, but he was used to it. He tried to avoid journalists and such whenever he could. He would politely decline his fans autographs and pictures. Some people understood while other, small minded people, thought he was being arrogant and rude. He didn't care. Let them think what they want. If they had a problem, they could just come up to him and tell him directly. No one ever did that, of course. You'd have to be crazy to pick a fight over Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived and destroyed the most evil and dark wizard of all time, once and for all. Over something as pathetic as an autographed picture? Anyone who did was asking for a death wish.

However, besides all that, his life changed dramatically. He no longer had to fear for his life. Not really, anyway. Sure, there were probably still some dark wizards out there who would want him dead. But they were nothing compared to Voldemort. Never the less, he kept wards all over his apartment, just in case. Some habits don't die that easily.

That was beside the point. He could live on his own now. He didn't have to worry about saving the world anymore. He could get up whenever he'd like on weekends. Eat whatever he felt like eating. Go to his training and get a career. He could just go over to the Weasley's and stay the night if he'd like. He, Ron and Hermione hung out almost every day as much as they could. It was great, or so he thought. It should have been great, but he felt like something wasn't right.

He still had nightmares. Voldemort still tortured him in his sleep. He still thought of that battle. Of everything that happened that built up to it. He tortured himself with what-ifs. What if Harry had told Dobby to move faster? What if he had made the deal a bit clearer to Griphook? What if he had killed Wormtail back then, so long ago? What if he could have saved Sirius? Or Dumbledore? Or anyone who had been involved and had died at the hands of the Death Eaters?

Harry should have felt at ease. Let these things go. Sometimes he'd feel alright, everything in the world was perfect, when he was suddenly hit with these feelings of survivor's guilt. It wasn't something he could just wait for it to go away. His friends could see it. He would be talking to them and laughing like everyone else. Then someone would mention something war related. It wasn't always intentional. They were innocent sounding words, unless you knew true meaning, such as 'crown' or 'locket'. 'Riddle' was a word to be avoided by the lot of them. But they would see him shut down suddenly, when something was mentioned. He wasn't with them anymore. His mind would be flooded with memories, with that guilt and he would just stop whatever he was doing.

Hermione and Ron knew the signs. They could tell something was wrong with their friend. They tried to ask him more than once if he was alright. If he wanted to talk to them about what had happened. Every time he said no. He was quite alright and fine and would you like something to drink?  
>They came to ahead when Harry finally snapped and told them to leave him alone. At once, Ron became defensive and reminded him that they were there too. They remember it all. Hermione still had the word 'mudblood' on her arm and that Ron's scars from the brains so long ago were faded, but there. Reminders of the war that will always haunt them. Harry finally broke down and told them. His feelings of guilt and his thoughts on what he could have done to avoid tragedy. How he can't sleep much at night because of the nightmares and the sleeping draught wasn't helping.<br>They talked for hours. A solution couldn't really be found, only that they knew they could count on each other if one of them needed the other in any way shape or form. Hermione promised to look for another potion to help Harry sleep. Ron and offered his bed back at the Burrow or get a few days off from the training so that Harry could rest up. He shook his head, thanking the both of them, but this was something he needed to do on his own.

As the days grew shorter and the weather colder, Harry sighed, watching his breath as puffs of smoke blow into the air. He was half way into his training. Kingsley said he had a good shot at becoming an Auror early, the way he was passing through the classes. Ron had asked Harry if he wanted to go out for pint near the Ministry's office, but Harry turned it down. He was feeling tired today, particularly more than usual. It was one of those days, he guessed. He bid his best friend farewell, apparating near his apartment building.

Harry quickly jogged up the stairs, unlocking his front door. His flat was quite empty. Not much, other than the necessities such as the refrigerator and the bed. He had his old school trunk in the corner, along with his broom that he hasn't touched in a years. He had a couple of pictures on his mantle and bedside table, and a drawer for his clothes. Besides that, it was empty. There were a couple of things still in boxes. Newspaper clipping from the time around the war, awards that the Ministry honored him with, First Class of Merlin and what not. The place looked hardly lived in, if you didn't count some clothes on the back of his chair or floor.

He didn't mind. He was never the sort to like too many things in a house. If it wasn't useful, it wasn't worth it. Buying things for decorative purposes seemed a bit stupid, really. Hermione, however, was determined to make him think differently. He was about to put his coat up on a hanger, when he heard something, laughter in the bedroom. Harry was on high alert immediately. Who on earth could have possibly passed through all his wards? Certainly, a very powerful and dark wizard. A rogue Death Eater come for revenge on his late master's behalf? Harry took out his wand and slowly walked to the bedroom door. He listened carefully, trying to determine where the person might be standing. He heard creaking. His bed? The Death Eater was on his bed?  
>Gripping his wand tightly, he carefully clicked the door knob open and slammed the door wide; ready to hit the other man with an "Expelliarmu-"<p>

"Hiya, Harry! Great day isn't it?"

A brown haired boy of 16 was smiling up at Harry, not in a least bit worried that Harry Potter was standing in front of him with his wand raised. In fact, he looked ecstatic. "Gonna do some more magic today, Harry?" he asked, bouncing in place, making the bed creak.  
>Harry only stared. How is this possible? How could he be here? It wasn't possible. He was supposed to be dead!<br>"Colin Creevey?"


	2. The Explanation

AN: Thank you so much for reading this little story. I am so happy that it's being well received. I hope you will enjoy it. If you have any questions, don't be hesitant to ask. And for those of you who know me from my Glee fanfic, yes, I know I should be updating. I will try to get on that as soon as possible.

I do not own Harry Potter. That is the creation of the beautiful and talented JK Rowling. Again, thank you for your time to read this. :)

Chapter 2

"Hiya!"

The late Gryffindor was indeed in his house, on his bed, smiling like he had just won the lottery. Harry was trying his best to wrap his head around the situation.

"You can't be here," he said, raising his wand again, "You're posing as a friend of mine. Polyjuice. Tell me who you are."

That had Colin look surprised. "Harry, it's not someone Polyjuiced. It's me, Colin Creevey," his eyes widened, "Am I really considered your friend, Harry?"

"Of course you're my-Wait! No, I'm not having this. Give me your real name now."

Colin crossed his arms, "I'm telling you, I'm Colin. Ask me anything."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Fine. What's your brother's name?"

"Dennis."

"What does your father do for a living?"

"He's a milkman."

"What happened during your first year at Hogwarts?"

He hesitated slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Finally he said, "I was petrified by a Basilisk. I didn't die because I was trying to take a picture of it."

Harry frowned. He was getting all of them right. But someone could have just looked Colin up in a book and found all this out at a library. So finally, he asked, "What was the first conversation we had, walking outside Hogwart grounds?"

Colin's smile became more nostalgic, a sort of sad twinkle in his eye lit up, "I asked you if it was difficult to fly. Whether the Nimbus 2000 really was your broom and whether it was the best in the world. Then I asked you how to play quidditch. And then, your friend Ron hit himself with a curse that made him vomit slugs. I asked if you would turn him around for a picture. I apologize about that, by the way. I was really annoying, wasn't I?"

The older man finally lowered his wand, looking at Colin with bewilderment. "But...that's impossible. You're...you're..."

"Dead?" the mousy haired boy asked, slowly floating up to the ceiling. Smirking he answered, "Yep. I am."

"So wait...you're a ghost?"

Colin grinned, floating over to Harry, forgetting about personal space and got really close. Harry was completely still as Colin hovered a few inches off the ground. With one hand, Colin reached out and touched Harry's cheek.

"Not a ghost," he whispered. Harry stared in shock. The touch felt so cold, freezing even. He blinked, "Oh Merlin, you're a vampire!"

Colin's mouth opened slightly before flying back up to the ceiling, laughing hysterically. "I-I am not a vampire, Harry!"

The longer Colin laughed, the redder Harry became. "Well then, what the bloody hell are you?" he shouted, trying to sound louder than all the hysteria coming from the other boy. He calmed down long enough to get back to the ground.

"I'm not a ghost. Not really, anyway. I'm more like a revenant."

"A...revenant?"

Colin nodded, "Yeah. You see, I was supposed to go to the other side, but I didn't want to leave yet. I had something to do. Something important. The only reason I didn't come to you sooner was because there was a lot of paperwork to go through, it was all such a hassle. Anyway, the point is, I'm here to help you, Harry."

The Auror in training was rubbing his temples. He took out a chair from his desk and sat in it, rubbing his hands over his face. "So why can I touch you?"

"If it's easier for you, just think of me as a poltergeist. Except, you're the only one who can see me."

"What? No one can see you? Except me?"

Again, the mousy haired boy nodded, "Yep. Only you. I was given the task to help you; therefore, I am now your 'caretaker.'"

Harry wasn't religious at all. But this sounded a lot like guardian angel type stuff. Harry sighed, "Alright. Say that I believe you. Why come to me? Why not your mum, your dad, your brother? Why me?"

Colin shrugged, "Well, first of all, my parents are muggles. They wouldn't be able to see me, no matter how hard I tried. My brother, I think, would not be able to handle it. And to be honest, I don't think he would have been able to help me."

"Oh, and I can?"

The apparition nodded, "Yes. You can help me, by me helping you."

Harry groaned into his palm, "But why? Why do you want to help me?"

At this, he met with silence. Harry looked up from his hand and saw that Colin looked like he was thinking something over. Then he smiled serenely and said, "To put it simple, I'm in love with you."

Again, complete silence.

And that was when Harry Potter, for the first time since the Battle, that he passed out.

When Harry woke up, he found himself in his bed. His clothes had been changed into pajamas, which consisted of sweat pants and an old t-shirt, and the covers were up to his neck. Harry groaned in relief, rubbing a hand over his face. "It was a dream," he said groggily, "A very, strange and random dream."

"Sorry Harry. Not a dream. I could be your dream, though."

Harry was shocked so badly, he jumped and fell over his bed. Getting up, he had untangled himself from the bed sheets and blanket, clobbering around for his wand. Colin sighed when Harry pointed his wand again at him.

"I thought we went over this, Harry. You're not going to hurt me, I'm already dead."

The man let himself calm down a bit, before lowering his wand. He stared at the boy for a while in bewilderment, before sitting down, his head falling into his hands.

"So it wasn't a dream. You're really here."

"That's right. I really am here." Colin laughed at Harry's shocked expression and began to fly around the room. "You know, Harry, it really is kind of empty in here. You should maybe add some more furniture around, frames on the wall, a dining table."

He saw Colin float through the bedroom door and heard him say, "Wow, Harry! When was the last time you stocked your fridge? Is that shepherd's pie moving?"

Harry followed him out and into the living room where it was connected to the kitchen, "Get back here. And get out of my fridge!"

Suddenly, he remembered why exactly he had passed out in the first place, "Wait! You said you were in love with me!"

Colin floated back in, tilting his head before nodding, "Yeah, I did."

Harry laughed humorlessly. He really couldn't believe any of this rubbish. "But why? We-we never even talked before! Not really. You were just my underclassman. A member of the D.A. Other than that, we barely saw or spoke to one another! Are you sure 'love' is what it is? Not just over-admiration? Because I was a so-called 'hero'?"

Colin looked thoughtful, pondering over his words and how he was going to explain. "You see Harry, when we met, I thought you were big news. I just found out I was a wizard and you were a celebrity to me. I've never met a celebrity before, so, yeah, I got excited meeting a real life hero. And for a while, that's how I thought of you. An icon, someone famous who just happened to be my classmate. But then we started to talk more around my fourth year? Remember?"

Harry nodded, slowly, "Yeah...But that was for DA. I was helping you with the Impediment Jinx." Colin nodded, "Do you remember that one time that I got frustrated? I came by early before the others got there?"

The dark haired man smiled a little, "That was the first time I ever heard you curse. Or angry in general." Colin laughed, "Uh huh, well, I was never really angry until then. I guess I wanted to impress you. At the time, I had a bit of a crush on you. Of course I would, you were my hero. Someone I looked up to. So I was nervous and I just couldn't get the spell right. You were really patient with me. You told me that I was just trying too hard. All I had to do was concentrate, keep my hand rigid. But I still couldn't do it. And then-"

"And then you started to break down. You threw your wand to the ground and just sat down for a bit. You were really stressed."

Colin grinned, his whole face beaming, "You remember. Yeah I was stressed. I was scared, Harry. That Voldemort was back. More so, since I was muggle born. I've read what they did to muggles and muggle borns. What they would do to me when he'd finally come back to power. Dennis was attacked by a Death Eater, you know. When we were escaping and went into hiding. The Impediment jinx was really useful.

But I was terrified. I was trying so hard to get through both my classes and keep my little brother safe. He was only twelve when the DA formed. Not to mention my family back home. They were all muggles. They had no idea how horrible Voldemort was. They thought he was just another loon. I was so frustrated, I actually started crying. Can you imagine my embarrassment?

_Three years earlier_

_Colin cried out in frustration after the sixth time he couldn't get the jinx to work and threw his wand away. "The bloody, stupid, piece of-" he growled. He was panting heavily, his eyes slightly tearing up. He sniffed, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. _

_He went to sit down, just to cool his head a bit. He was so stupid, joining this club. He didn't know what he was doing. He knew Charms but Defense Against the Dark Arts? He was bloody horrible at it. But if he didn't learn how to defend himself, how was he going to keep his family safe? He choked back a sob, feeling tired that all he wanted to do know was sleep it off. _

_"You still here, Colin?"_

_He gasped and wiped his eyes quickly. "Oh, Harry! Umm, yeah, sorry. I was...I was just practicing a bit before the meeting started. I'm sorry, I'll get out of your way." He wanted the ground to swallow him at that moment. He could practically feel Harry's eyes on him, watching him curiously. Harry turned his head over to the discarded wand on the floor. He picked it up and handed it over to Colin. The fourth year smiled tightly, "Thanks..."_

_"Do you need some help?" Harry asked. Colin nodded, "Yeah. It's the Impediment Jinx. I can't seem to master it." Harry nodded in understanding, "Alright. Well, just stand up and let's see you give it try. Clear your head and concentrate on your target, okay?"_

_Colin did so, but just like before, there a slight popping sound but nothing had changed. He growled, "Stupid piece of rubbish!" He gasped, putting a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry, Harry!" he yelled, "I-I just-" Harry was chuckling silently, clearly amused. He straightened his facial expression, trying his best not to laugh, "Umm...that was...umm." _

_"It was horrible," Colin groaned, sitting back down on the chair. _

_"Well, I think the problem is that you're not concentrating. Is there something bothering you, Colin?" Harry asked. _

_He wanted to tell him. He so wanted to tell him. But he couldn't bring himself to. He wasn't going to burden Harry with his petty problems. He shook his head, "Nah, my camera got confiscated by Umbridge a couple of days ago. Said I shouldn't be taking pictures, in case I was 'up to something indecent.'" Colin shrugged, "But that's no problem. There was nothing on the roll, anyway." _

_Harry sat next to him, "You're lying." Colin looked up surprised, "I'm sorry?"_

_"You're lying. There's something else that's bothering you. But that's okay. Just know that if you ever need anything, I'll always be here to listen."_

_Colin was quiet for a moment, before bursting into tears. Harry, shocked to see him get so emotional, awkwardly patted him on the back. The younger boy began to just talk. He talked about his family. He talked about how young his brother was to be learning all these defensive spells but that wasn't going to stop him. He told him about how his family wasn't taking this as seriously as they should, which is putting them in danger. They thought Harry was lying and that they were all safe. He had had an argument with his father before starting school and had left home angry, neither one wanting to budge from their beliefs. And he added that his grades were starting to slip, since he was worrying so much he hadn't been getting sleep, but that was beside the point. _

_By the end of it, the only sounds that could be heard were Colin sniffling pathetically, trying to catch his breath. Harry had yet to remove his hand from his back and in some sort of strange way, it was rather comforting, instead of awkward. _

_"You're a great wizard, Colin," he heard Harry say after a moment of silence, "Thank you for taking my side in all this, but you really should make up with your father. I never wanted to break up families. You just have to sit him down and tell him exactly what is going on this world. Don't scare them into pulling you out of school of course, but you have to educate them. Prepare them. Voldemort hasn't attacked anyone just yet but that's no reason to let your guard down. And don't worry about your brother. He's having a lot of fun and he's getting along well with the spells. As for the grades, you can always ask my friend Hermione for some help. She'd be glad to share her knowledge with you, I have no doubt." _

_They both chuckled a bit. Everyone knew that Hermione loved to tutor others, sometimes a little too much. _

_"Now, the only thing that worries me is this sleeping problem that you have. Have you asked Madame Pomfrey for some sleeping draught?" _

_Colin shook his head, "No...I don't want to take it...It's not that bad."_

_"Obviously it is, if it's messing with your grades. Now, I really shouldn't be giving you advice on sleeping habits, seeing as I'm having the same problem, but if you're having trouble getting to sleep, perhaps seeing Madame Pomfrey will help."_

_Harry ruffled Colin's hair, "Come on, let's try it again. Remember, clear your head, concentrate on the target, which is me. And remember to keep your hand straight, don't let it move." _

_Colin took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. The only thing he was concentrating on was Harry's voice. He opened his eyes and said, "Impedimenta!"_

_A blue light cast from Colin's wand flashed forward and knocked Harry off his feet. Colin stared at what he had done, before whooping in excitement. Then, he quickly remembered that Harry Potter was on the ground, most likely in pain, while he was dancing around happily because he had caused it. He ran over to him, helping him up, "I'm so sorry!" he said, feeling his cheeks turn crimson, "Are you okay? I didn't mean to do that!" Harry only laughed, holding onto Colin's shoulder for support, "It's okay, Colin. That was great! Now you just have to learn how to do that on a moving target and you're golden." _

_Colin's face was probably a tomato now, but he was happy. "I-I did it! Thanks a lot Harry!" Harry grinned widely at him. His eyes were lit up with pride, his cheeks slightly flushed from being thrown down and a smile that could light up a room adorned on his face. Colin couldn't help thinking that he looked beautiful. _

_"Don't mention it, Colin," Harry said, "It was your doing. All I did was help you along. I knew you'd do it eventually." Before Colin could spontaneously combust, other people were starting to fill in the room. Some had seen Colin do the jinx and were clapping his back, congratulating him. "Alright, everyone," Harry said, getting their attention, "Let's continue again with the Confundus Charm. Everyone pair up." _

_From that day on, Colin's eyes always found his way to Harry. Watching him; hoping that he would notice that Colin was trying his best. It was true that he had found boys attractive before, but it was different this time. Harry had been so kind to him. While most of his friends would have teased him and reluctantly help him out, Harry had been patient and never once made fun of him. Not even when he started to cry. He was a great teacher and not to mention, he looked good with his sleeves rolled up. _

Colin finished his story and looked over at Harry expectantly. Harry was staring straight ahead with his mouth wide open. Carefully, Colin reached over and pushed it shut, which made Harry jump at the cold touch. Slapping the hand away, he still looked confused, "So wait. What you're telling me is that you fell in love me, just like that?"

Colin shook his head, "No, not just like that. That's when my feelings for you grew. It wasn't until later, the more I watched you, the more you seemed human to me. You were funny, you were smart, you were kind and brave. I was going to tell you...but I knew I didn't stand a chance against Ginny. But anyway, I saw that you weren't happy. You were still upset, you weren't celebrating your life. Plus, there was still some stuff I wanted to clear up before I went to the other side."

Harry blinked, "You can still go back?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, I thought once you turned into a ghost, you couldn't go back..."

"I told you. I'm a revenant. Not a real ghost. It's more like a deal that I made with the powers that be to help you in any way I can. Once I finish up my job here, I can pass on."

Harry was rubbing his eyes, tiredly, "But I'm fine! I don't need anyone's help."

"You may think that but you're wrong, Harry," Colin replied. "Please let me help you Harry. I want to."

Harry was looking down at his lap for a long moment before getting up and heading for he closet. Colin burrowed his eyebrows, "Where you going?"

"I really can't believe this. I have to go talk to someone."

"You still can't believe I'm here? What's there to not believe?"

"Everything! You're some sort of phantom that I can apparently touch and feel and no one else can? I'm going crazy!"

So he decided to go see the one person who would be able to straighten this whole thing out; Hermione Granger.


	3. More Explanations

A/N: I am really sorry for the four of you that have waited for this to come out. I really have no excuse other than I got busy and I had a bit of writers block. But do not be alarmed, I will finish this. I'm already half way through the next chapter so keep an eye on that. Thank you all for favoriting and putting this story on your alerts, it really means a lot.

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Harry Potter, I merely take the characters and use them as I see fit. I do not get any money out of this, unfortunately.

Harry couldn't handle any of this. This was all just insane. There was no way that Colin Creevey, a boy that had died over a year ago, was not only in love with him but was going to stick around and make life adjustments for him. No, he wasn't going to believe this until he got this straightened out with Hermione. She'd know if this was real or all fake and he was making it up all in his head.

It wouldn't be the first time he thought he was going clinically insane.

He could feel Colin. Colin said he's not alive.

He can see Colin. The boy said that only Harry will be able to see him.

This was complete and utter bollocks!

As he walked out of his flat towards the tube, he saw Colin follow him out.

"You're using the tube?" Colin asked, "Why not just apparate?" Harry huffed but felt compelled to answer him, "I don't feel like it." Honestly, ever since the war, he never apparated much. He hated the feeling. Sure it was easier and quick, but the thought of splinching, especially when he remembered how Ron looked when he had splinched his arm, had completely turned him off of that sort of transportation. He didn't use the floo either because he didn't trust it and he couldn't use his broom for obvious reasons. Plus, he didn't really mind the tube. It was sort of relaxing when you get the right sort of people in the cabin with you.

He entered the cabin and sat down next to an elder man reading the newspaper. Colin kept talking, "It's been a while since I've been on the tube. I hate it when there are no more seats and you have to hold on to the bar or pole. And then sometimes, when it stops suddenly, you accidentally lose your balance and end up sitting in someone's lap or leaning on someone's chest. That's just awkward." Harry kept quiet. It wouldn't do to talk to the hallucination. People might think he was crazy. He was starting to believe that theory anyway. 'You're not real,' he kept telling himself. Colin frowned, "Of course I'm real, Harry. YOU can see me, can't you?"

Harry blinked and looked up, 'You can...read my mind?' The younger boy shrugged, "Only when I have to. Don't worry, I won't read it when it's unnecessary. I don't want to take away your privacy." Harry sighed, 'Great...just what I need. A mind reading, ghost.' He wished he had tried harder to learn Occlumency.

"Not a ghost," Colin remind him as he stood next to Harry, unperturbed by the movement of the train.

Harry kept his eyes on the black spot on the floor, so he wouldn't look like he was talking to an illusion. Colin went on to talk about the time he and his brother and mother had gone in the tube when they were younger to take Colin to Diagon Alley. It was so strange for them, Colin said, to take such a normal transportation route all the way to a magical society. It had been unreal. Harry kept quiet, not wanting to engage Colin in conversation, though he didn't really need to do anything to keep him talking.

At last, they had gotten to their (his, Harry reminded himself) stop. Keeping his hands in his pockets, Harry walked through the crowd, somewhat hoping he would lose Colin. His hopes were dashed when he saw the brown haired boy already at the top of the stair. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, Harry," Colin grinned, winking at him.

He kept walking down the street. Hermione and Ron's place wasn't that far from the stop, only a couple of blocks away. He took a left when he reached the terraced house that his friends lived in and knocked on the door. Colin was looking through the window of another house. "Oh wow...who knew a man could move his leg that far apart..." Harry swatted at him, his face flushed as racy images flew through his mind. "Will you stop that! I thought you quit being nosy." The boy shrugged, "With you perhaps. But what else can I do when I'm invisible and can fly through walls. I've already went to watch that cute neighbor of yours upstairs get dressed for work. He looks good, dripping wet." Colin giggled at Harry's astonished face. "Oh my God...I'm stuck with a perverted phantom!"

"Harry, why on earth are you talking to yourself?"

He turned on his heel, seeing Hermione standing at the doorway, looking at him skeptically.

Well, this was definitely going to be an interesting explanation.

"Wait, so what you're telling me is, Colin Creevey, the boy who stalked you in our school days has come back from the dead to haunt you? But we can't really see him or hear him, only you can?"

Ron had been in the living room, reading through a manual on how to set up a telly when Harry had come in and started to explain about his predicament. He could tell that Ron was amused by all this but thank Merlin that Hermione at least had the sense to go look in a book about it.

He rolled his eyes, "It's not funny, Ron." His best friend snorted, "Sorry mate, but I think it's bloody hysterical."

"I see he's still as sensitive as ever," Colin commented dryly. Harry glared at him, "That's rich, coming from the guy who had just recently went to check on my neighbors showering." Ron's eyes widened as Harry talked into the air, "Harry, is here now?" The black haired man nodded, running a hand over his face, "Yes, he is. He's standing-well, he's floating over by the kitchen table." As if to make his presence known, Colin tapped the rhythm of "shave and a haircut, two bits" on the table. Ron's shoulder tensed, "Blimey...I know we should be used to it, what with being around ghosts all year round at Hogwarts but that's just weird."

"It's not a ghost, Ronald," Hermione said, coming back with her face practically glued to a page of a book. Colin threw his hands up in the air, "Thank you!"

"It's a revenant. A visible spirit or animated corpse that comes back from the dead because it feels like they have an obligation on Earth and need to fulfill it to be able to move on peacefully."

"Well, okay, we know it's not a corpse since we can't see it. How come Harry can, but not us?" Ron asked. Harry nodded eagerly, wanting to know the answer. Hermione shrugged, "Colin must have asked whatever powers that be for that perk. It could be possible that that happens all the time, but we're not sure. By we, I mean, experts on ghosts and otherworldly beings. Humans don't usually choose this path."

Harry blinked, "Why not? It's easier than being a ghost, right? I mean, a ghost is stuck here. From what Colin says, if he fulfill whatever it was that he wanted, he will go back and move onto the afterlife. Why doesn't everyone else do that?" Hermione shook her head, "Because it's a huge risk, Harry. Humans may choose to come back as revenant but very few actually fulfill their obligations. They have a contract. They must do whatever it was that they promised to do in a certain set of time. So, for example, Colin promised to try to make your life easier. If you die before Colin can finish his task, Colin will be stuck here as an invisible ghost for the rest of eternity. There's always a 50/50 chance that people can actually accomplish their missions. Many don't want to take that chance. But Colin, apparently did."

Harry blinked, remembering something recently. It was something he didn't necessarily want to remember, but he had to. Walking in the Forbidden Forest, he was ready to die, he had the Resurrection Stone in his hand and he saw his parents, Sirius and Remus standing there. His mother had told him that she and his father had never left him. So were they...

"Yes, Harry," Colin answered him. Harry looked up, blinking. Colin had been hearing his thoughts, "They were revenants. They're gone now though, because they finished their mission. To keep you safe from...from Voldemort. Don't worry though, they still keep an eye on you from time to time. I can't give you all the 'inside scoop' on what happens on the other side, but don't think they're gone completely. They were actually the people who insisted on my behalf to let me come here and help you out."

Harry looked down and felt a prickling and wet feeling at the corner of his eyes. Hermione saw the change immediately. "Harry? Is something wrong?" Harry shook his head, "No...just...nothing. Umm." He turned his head to wipe the wetness away and caught Ron's gaze. They shared a smile of understanding and Ron said, "Say, Hermione, I'm starving. Is dinner almost ready yet?" Knowing that Ron was trying to distract her intentionally, she played along, "Honestly Ronald, you just ate a couple of hours ago."

"I'm a growing man, Hermione. And training to be an Auror on top of that. I need to keep my strength up." They bickered back and forth, fondly, leaving Harry to collect his thoughts.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Harry broke it by asking, "What exactly is your 'mission'?" Colin went to sit next to Harry, hovering a couple of inches off the ground, legs crossed, "I told you. I want to make you happy." Harry sighed, "Yes, but you also said you did it cause you were in love with me. You know that I can't...well I can't...reciprocate those feelings, right?" Colin laughed lightly, "Of course I know that Harry! A revenant and a human. Not that it hasn't been done before but the results were disastrous. But seriously Harry, it's true that I love you. It's also true that I knew practically from the moment I laid eyes on you that it would have never worked out. Dead or alive, I knew I had no chance. But I still care about you. I can tell that you're unhappy and I want to fix that."

"And how do you know that I'm unhappy? I think I'm just fine, thank you very much," he tried to argue. And he was. He was perfectly content on the way his life was going. It wasn't as exciting as it used to be, but he had enough excitement to last a lifetime. Colin drew in closer, "I can tell because of the way you're flat is decorated. Or should I say, lack of." Harry raised a brow, "What do you mean? My flat is fine." Colin rolled his eyes, "I told you, Harry. If depression had a sense of style, it would be your flat. It's all so bare and white. There's one small table in the kitchen, one chair, a gray, discolored sofa in the living room, a telly stacked on a stool, a drawer for your clothes and a bed. And a refrigerator that hasn't been stocked in what seems like ages. And you only have a couple of pictures on top of your drawer. Three to be exact. Your friends, Ron and Hermione, your parents and the DA before they disbanded in fifth year. And don't think I haven't seen the scrap book." Harry glared at him, standing up, "You've been looking through my things?"

Colin shrugged, "Just a little. Harry, it's not healthy to go through clippings like that. And what's worse, you keep adding things to it. Clippings of bodies they have found over the course of the year after the war ended, people who are still missing, Death Eaters on trial or were still on the loose. You can't do that to yourself, Harry."

The taller man clenched his fists, "You are not my therapist. You had no right to go through my drawers, those were private." Sensing that he had crossed the line, Colin reached out and took Harry's hands in his. Harry winced at the sudden cold and tried to pull away, but Colin was determined to keep his hands where they were. "I know I'm not. I'm not trying to be. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, it was an invasion of privacy. But I want to ask you something. Are you truly happy where you are right now? Look me in the eye and tell me that you're truly and completely happy and I'll go away right now."

Harry did so, looking right into Colin's light brown eyes and said monotonously, "I am sincerely happy." They stood there for a moment in silence. Then there was a tug on Colin's lip, smirking in victory, "You're lying." Harry growled, "I'm not." Colin put up his hand to stop Harry from making any more excuses, "Yes you are, Harry. If you hadn't been, I would have disappeared. But guess what, Harry? I'm still here, which means my mission is still in effect. You can't fool the powers that be." Harry groaned, sitting down on his chair with a thud.

"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?" Harry said, already knowing the answer. Colin chuckled, "What do you think?"

"Fine, say I go along with your plan. Do you have a plan?" he asked, feeling slightly curious.

Colin grinned widely, "I'm glad you asked, Harry because I do in fact have a plan. And here it is."

Colin waved a hand in the air and bright silver letters appeared in front of Harry. And they read:

Operation Make Harry Happy

1. Home Life

2. Work Life

3. Social Life

4. Love Life

Harry blinked, "Really? A four step plan to happiness? That sounds like a false infomercial. Colin raised his eyebrows, "Four steps? Those aren't steps, those are just headings. Each one has their own steps to take. You don't want to know the number of steps for each one, so I condensed it to these four general topics." Harry looked over the list again, "Why those topics?" Colin nodded, "Well, home life, obviously means your flat. Either move or redecorate. That's my advice on that. If you can't be happy in your own home, where can you be happy? Work life. Now, that's going to take some time. You're just graduating from Auror's training, but don't worry, I'm sure that will be the easiest since you really like being an Auror. We'll just work on that when we get there. Alright, number three, social life." Harry cut him off, "I have a social life."

Colin stared at him, "Harry, hanging out with other Auror's during training and then hanging out with only Ron and Hermione after training is not a social life. And dont' tell me how you still hang out with the rest of the Weaselys and Neville and Luna, because you don't, not really. You need to get a life outside of Ron and Hermione. Don't get me wrong, they're both great and you should cherish them deeply. But face it, Hermione is making friends at school and soon she'll be making a huge storm in her career of choice and Ron is probably hanging out with other Auror's outside of training. Not to mention, if I'm not wrong, those two are together and will soon be married. Am I right?" When Harry just grumbled at the floor, that was enough of a confirmation for the apparation to keep going, "Which brings me to my last and probably hardest topic. Your love life. And don't say that you have a love life because we all know that you don't."

Harry looked away, scowling, "You've been going through my memories." Colin looked apologetic, "Yeah I have. Don't worry, Harry. I'm going to help you be happy. You wont be hurt like that again, I promise." Harry looked back up, glaring before sighing, "Right...so how long is all this going to take?" In other words, 'How long do I have to deal with you?' The revenant smiled, "Nothing happens overnight Harry. Hogwarts wasn't built in a day, despite what people may believe. But don't worry, if you cooperate, I'll be out of your hair in no time. Like I said, though, don't expect results to come quickly. You'll just have to be patient."

At first, Harry had no idea what Colin was talking about. He really thought that if he just did what Colin said, he'd be out of his life as soon as possible. But as year three came around, Harry realized exactly what Colin meant. Happiness didn't happen in a day. It didn't even happen in 1,090 days. He just hoped it would come before he died.


End file.
